The present invention generally relates to the field of communications equipment and processes for the deaf and, more specifically, to the field of TDD and/or TTY devices used by the deaf to communicate.
There is an immediate need to provide enhanced text capabilities for the deaf, hearing impaired, and/or speech impaired communities. This is consistent with an overriding social goal of integrating handicapped individuals into traditional society, which is, in part, perhaps, best illustrated by the two recent statutes passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President of the United States: the Americans with Disabilities Act (xe2x80x9cADAxe2x80x9d) and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Among other things, these statutes compel manufactures and telecommunications service providers to enhance existing approaches used by members of the deaf, hearing impaired, and/or speech impaired communities to access and utilize telecommunications networks and systems. For instance, the ADA generally requires that handicapped persons have equal access to public (and, in some cases, private) facilities. Among other things, 47 U.S.C. xc2xa7225(b)(1) states that the Federal Communications Commission xe2x80x9cshall ensure that interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services are available, to the extent possible and in the most efficient manner, to hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals in the United States.xe2x80x9d Consequently, over the past several years, it has become imperative for telecommunications companies to develop systems, processes, and apparatus that enable members of the deaf, hearing impaired, and/or speech impaired communities to use telecommunications networks and systems.
Deaf, hearing impaired, and/or speech impaired individuals primarily communicate with others via a Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (xe2x80x9cTDDxe2x80x9d), which is primarily a teletypewriter (xe2x80x9cTTYxe2x80x9d). One current problem for users of TTY devices is that the number of people who can be called is limited, because TTY users can only have conversations with others who have a TTY device, have access to a TTY device, and know how to use a TTY device. Many business do not have any TTY device or, if they do have a TTY device, there are a limited number available. Alternatively, TTY-to-speech relay services are sometimes used by deaf, hearing impaired and/or speech impaired people to communicate with hearing/speaking persons. These services are generally provided by a group of people, who basically read the TTY text and vocalize the message to the hearing person and also hear the message from the hearing person and type the TTY text to the deaf, hearing impaired, and/or speech impaired person. A major disadvantage of relay services is that they require a third party for each and every telephone conversation, which is especially problematic for the TTY user in personal or financial matters. Moreover, relay readers employed by relay services can also make mistakes, in part, due to the lack of immediate feedback.
One problem with designing new systems, processes, and apparatus is that TDD and TTY devices are, by today""s standards, quite slow. Specifically, in the age of 33.4K baud modems, Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data (xe2x80x9cDSVDxe2x80x9d), and 64 Kbits per channel BRI/PRI, a TTY uses the Baudot format consisting of 5-bit words transmitted at a rate as slow as 45.45 bits per second, which is a TDD standard. These signals do not have any carrier and only support 38 characters. Numbers and punctuation characters are generally sent after a shift character is sent to change the character mode to a number mode, so as an example, the number xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9d and the letter xe2x80x9cExe2x80x9d are both represented by the same code (00001). The difference is dependent on the mode each TDD device is in. If the mode of the TDD devices used in a conversation do not match, the result is garbled words. This problem is exacerbated with the fact that the standards are not likely to change for a variety of reasons. In particular, the existing standards are reliable in that the slow speed will work on almost any quality of a telephone line. In fact, TDD devices routinely use an acoustic coupler to connect to the public network. It can be easily read, as it is received, which is important, because most TTY devices are equipped with a small digit window that shows only one line of text. In addition, existing equipment implementing the standard are relatively inexpensive at about $225.00/device.
In certain situations, similar problems with communications may be encountered by the hearing community. For instance, in Internet or other network based communications, there are problems associated with alerting the called party that an Internet based call is waiting.
Existing designs and procedures have other problems as well.
Preferred embodiments pertain to an apparatus and related methods and systems that enhance communication systems and processes used by members of the deaf, hearing-impaired, and/or speech impaired community as well as by others. Note that preferred methods are preferably performed by the preferred apparatus and systems and are discussed in reference to the preferred apparatus and systems.
Preferred systems are generally comprised of a TTY device, a telephone network, a private branch exchange (xe2x80x9cPBXxe2x80x9d) module, a text server, a voice mail system, at least one telephone, at least one terminal device, and, in some cases, a computer network. Communication paths are used to selectively couple the above elements together, as needed to execute or implement the particular application or feature. The TDD device is typically external to the overall system and is used to generate or initiate the TDD call into the telephone network. The TDD call is preferably received by a port adapted to receive the TDD call. The port is preferably in communication with the PBX module. The PBX module is in communication with a text server via a modem. The text server is directly or indirectly in communication with a voice mail system and with the PBX module. The text server may be in communication with the voice mail system via a voice card and PBX module or directly with certain voice mail systems (e.g., Meridian Mail(trademark)) with specialized software (e.g., Meridian Mail ACCESS(trademark)). The PBX module is in communication with at least one telephone. The text server is in communication with at least one terminal device (e.g., personal computer) via a local area network (xe2x80x9cLANxe2x80x9d), the Internet, or some other form of a network. Note that depending upon the specific feature and/or application of the preferred embodiment, not all of the disclosed elements may need to be required and, as discussed below, the interconnections may change.
Preferred processes use a bulletin board system which presents a number of options (e.g., (i) leave a message; (ii) transfer to a persons telephone number; and/or (iii) log on to a specific mailbox) to direct a TDD call through the voice mail system, computer network, telephone system, PBX, and text server. At each stage, a first party (a calling party) is generally prompted to provide needed information to identify a second party (the called party) or instructions to instruct the preferred system what to do (e.g., leave a message). Identification information includes, but is not limited to, the second party""s first name, the second party""s employee number, the second party""s social security number, the second party""s computer address, the second party""s mailbox number, the second party""s login name, the second party""s last name, the second party""s full name, the second party""s individual telephone number, and the Internet protocol (xe2x80x9cIPxe2x80x9d) address. Preferred systems use this information to direct the TDD call and to determine whether the second party has access to equipment needed to respond to the TDD call. Depending upon the instructions provided by the first and second parties, voice messages are left in voice mail, chat discussions are set-up, e-mail messages are sent, and voice mail boxes are set up, etc. The integration of the components discussed above allows for messages or signals to be sent to and from the voice mail system, the computer system, and the text server.
Alternate preferred embodiment are generally comprised of a (xe2x80x9cPBXxe2x80x9d) module, a text server, a voice mail system, at least one telephone, at least one terminal device, and, in some cases, a computer network. Communication paths are used to selectively couple the above elements together, as needed to execute or implement the particular application or feature. Calls in these embodiments are initiated over the Internet or the world wide web to the text server, which is preferably in communication with the PBX module. The PBX module is in communication with a text server via a modem. The text server is directly or indirectly in communication with a voice mail system and with the PBX module. The text server may be in communication with the voice mail system via a voice card and PBX module or directly with certain voice mail systems (e.g., Meridian Mail(trademark)) with specialized software (e.g., Meridian Mail ACCESS(trademark)). The PBX module is in communication with at least one telephone. The text server is in communication with at least one terminal device (e.g., personal computer) via a local area network (xe2x80x9cLANxe2x80x9d), the Internet, or some other form of a network. Note this embodiment is easily used by hearing and deaf, hearing impaired, and/or speech impaired communities alike.
Similarly, alternate preferred processes use a bulletin board system which presents a number of options (e.g., (i) leave a message; (ii) transfer to a persons telephone number; and/or (iii) log on to a specific mailbox) to direct a call through the voice mail system, computer network, telephone system, PBX, and text server. At each stage, a first party (a calling party) is generally prompted to provide needed information to identify a second party (the called party) or instructions to instruct the preferred system what to do (e.g., leave a message). Identification information includes, but is not limited to, the second party""s first name, the second party""s employee number, the second party""s social security number, the second party""s computer address, the second party""s mailbox number, the second party""s login name, the second party""s last name, the second party""s full name, the second party""s individual telephone number, and the Internet protocol (xe2x80x9cIPxe2x80x9d) address. Preferred systems use this information to direct the call and to determine whether the second party has access to equipment needed to respond to the call. Depending upon the instructions provided by the first and second parties, voice messages are left in voice mail, chat discussions are set-up, e-mail messages are sent, and voice mail boxes are set up, etc. The integration of the components discussed above allows for messages or signals to be sent to and from the voice mail system, the computer system, and the text server.
Preferred embodiments integrate TDD and TTY calls into mainstream telephone system and computer communication functions. Software (and, if needed, hardware) used to implement these features preferably exist on a text server that is unique and separate from the telephone system and/or it will be integral with the telephone system. In particular, the server is preferably comprised of a computer acting as the server, at least one modem that interfaces between the TDD/TTY device and the server, a LAN-WAN-Internet interface, a data interface to the voice processing system, and a data interface to the telephone system. Preferred embodiments combine modem based TDD/TTY translation (TDD or TTY to ASCII and ASCII to TDD or TTY), Bulletin Board, chat, telephone system and LAN systems to allow TDD or TTY callers to communicate with telephone system users via chat connections between the TDD/TTY and the users desktop computer via the TDD modem and a LAN connection. Callers will be able to route their own calls by responding to automated TDD prompts stored in the software. The storage media for both the prompts and the messages will be ASCII or similar text format.
Alternate preferred embodiments provide that the text server uses existing PBX, ACD, or voice mail capabilities to ring the called party""s telephone or light a light on the called party""s telephone to thereby alert the called party that a call initiated via the Internet or other network is waiting. The call is then routed by the text server as a text call via a LAN connection to the called party""s personal computer or terminal. As a result, alternate preferred embodiments provide a mechanism to alert the called party that a call is waiting, even when that call was not initiated via a telephone, but rather via the Internet or other network.
The preferred embodiments have a number of other unique features, which along with other advantages, will be discussed below in reference to the preferred embodiments.